Superstar signs on with Sydney FC
Friday, 8 August 2008
Following months of training, challenges and eliminations, Fox 8’s reality program, ‘Football Superstar’ came to a climax on Thursday night with Adam Hett announced as the inaugural winner.
Selected by FC coach John Kosmina, the 19 year old from Perth beat off hundreds of other young footballers from around the country to earn a one-year Youth League contract with the Sydney club.
‘It was a great feeling to win,’said Hett. ‘When you set out in a competition like ‘Football Superstar’ you do not expect to go all the way, it’s awesome to be at a professional football club.’
Making the transition from the Western Australian State League to the Hyundai A-League, Hett admits that the pressures of professional football have only just begun.
“All the hard work starts from now. I have to work as hard as I can to cement my place in the Sydney FC youth team and hopefully then progress to the first team.”
As part of his prize package Adam has also scored a scholarship to live and study at Macquarie University, and he’s been assisted in making the move from Perth by one of Sydney FCs major sponsors, Bing Lee, who’ve provided the teenager with some of the comforts of home, including a microwave oven, LCD television, and dvd player.
Living so close to Sydney’s training grounds in North Ryde has proved a big benefit for Hett, who’s been running regularly with the first team players as they prepare to kick-off their Hyundai A-League campaign.
“It’s been going brilliantly,” the competition winner admitted. “I’ve been enjoying every training session, (and) all the clubs experienced players are looking after me and showing me new things.”
The ‘Football Superstar’ admits, however that training and playing alongside his boyhood heroes does leave him star-struck at times.
He explained, “I do have to pinch myself when I think that I’ve been training with Simon Colosimo, Tony Popovic and Steve Corica, they’re all players I use to watch when I was younger when they were playing for Australia.”
“I’m learning so much from them, it’s a great experience to be out there picking up all their knowledge and trying to soak it all up,” he said. “They’ve all had great careers and seeing how established they are it’s something that I definitely want.”
Showing all the confidence he displayed during his rise to the top in the ‘Football Superstar’ competition, Adam admits he is looking to get his first senior cap for Sydney FC as soon as his form permits.
“It would be a dream come true to break into the first team squad as early as I can, but obviously there are a lot of great players at this club, so as soon as that time comes I’ll be over the moon.”
After securing the title of Australia’s first ‘Football Superstar’, Adam has now shifted his full focus to the field, and along with his new team-mates is getting on with the business of preparing for Sydney’s opening round outing against the Melbourne Victory, at home on August 16.
